A Glimpse of Closeness at Japan-US-South Korea Leadership Joint Press Conference: A ‘Special Opportunity’ That Could Not Be Obtained through Broadcast

Published in Sankei Shimbun
(Japan) on 25 August 2023
by Kazuyuki Sakamoto (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Dorothy Phoenix. Edited by Patricia Simoni.
U.S. President Joe Biden participated in the opening joint press conference for a leadership summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at Camp David, a presidential mountain retreat on the outskirts of Washington, D.C.

This was a rare opportunity to set foot into Camp David, which has become a diplomatic stage. I took my smartphone so that I could take pictures of the inside of the facility, but due to security issues, I was limited to photographing only the location of the press conference.

Although I was not able to explore Camp David in detail, the meeting of the three leaders was worth seeing, as there were scenes that offered a glimpse into the relationship between the comrades in leadership and the closeness of the high officials of each country.

During the meeting, Biden turned his body 90 degrees to face Kushida, who was next to him, as Kushida spoke to him, carefully listening to the simultaneous translation.

I have watched Biden's joint press conferences several times, but this one was a spectacle that exuded a greater sense of closeness toward his companion. At an event in July related to the Group of 7 summit, it was difficult to figure out whether the intention of Biden's high praise for Kushida was staged or sincere, so I was paying attention.

In the press conference room, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin greeted high officials from the White House and the State Department in a friendly manner, and I could see that he was aiming to build broad relationships. A certain U.S. government official told reporters that this was a “special opportunity” that could not be obtained through a TV broadcast.


日米韓首脳の共同記者会見で垣間見た緊密さ 中継では得られない「貴重な機会」

バイデン米大統領がワシントン近郊の大統領山荘キャンプデービッドで岸田文雄首相、韓国の尹錫悦(ユン・ソンニョル)大統領と開いた首脳会談の共同記者会見に参加した。

外交舞台となってきたキャンプデービッドに足を踏み入れる機会はめったにない。施設内の様子も写真に残そうとスマートフォンを手にしたが、セキュリティー上の問題で撮影は会見場だけに制限された。

キャンプデービッドをつぶさに観察することはかなわなかったものの、3首脳の会見は見応えがあった。首脳同士の関係や各国高官の緊密さなどを垣間見るシーンがあったからだ。

バイデン氏は会見中、隣の岸田氏が話をすると体を90度回転させて岸田氏の方を向いたまま、じっくりと同時通訳を聞いていた。

何度かバイデン氏の共同記者会見をみているが、相手への親近感がよりにじみ出る光景だった。7月の先進7カ国(G7)関連行事で、岸田氏をべた褒めしたバイデン氏の意図が演出か本心か見定めることが難しかったため注目していた。

韓国の朴振(パク・チン)外相が会見場でホワイトハウスや国務省の高官と親しげにあいさつする場面があり、幅広い関係構築を図っている様子も見れた。ある米政府関係者は記者に、テレビ中継では得られない「貴重な機会だ」と語る。(坂本一之)
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